


Leave the Door Open

by motherofmercury



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling, Harry Potter and the Cursed Child - Thorne & Rowling
Genre: Character Death, Draco is a good dad, F/M, Grief/Mourning, Hurt/Comfort, Marriage, astoria doesn't like closed doors, drastoriafest 2019, grieving together, i will fight you on this, proposal, scorpius is a mature boy, time skip
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-06-04
Updated: 2019-06-04
Packaged: 2020-04-07 15:52:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,008
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19088221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/motherofmercury/pseuds/motherofmercury
Summary: It took Draco a while, but he finally worked up the courage to ask Astoria The Question despite all her (endearing) quirks.  Sixteen years later, Scorpius discovers a habit that his dad has always kept for his mum, even after her death.





	Leave the Door Open

**Author's Note:**

> I recommend listening to 'Can I Have The Day With You' by Sam Ock and Michelle while you read this, it creates a perfect atmosphere if you're someone who can read with music playing. I hope you enjoy it <3

The hour just before dawn, when the night is darkest; just before morning takes her first breath is the hour of lovers.  They lie entwined together in the silence, skin hot where caressed and gooseflesh prickling over chilly limbs that escape the covers.

    “Astoria,” Draco whispered in the soft darkness.  He trailed his fingers down the curve of her bare shoulder and traced the soft dip of her collarbone, lingering along the edge of one breast.

    “Draco,” she whispered back as her hand slid through the silky strands of his moonlit hair.

    “I have something for you.  Don’t move an inch.” He slid out from under the covers, creating a warm space that Astoria rolled into as the loss of contact chilled her.  Absorbing his warmth was almost as good as hugging him.  Almost.

    Draco went to close the door behind himself as he left the room, but closed doors were a thing that Astoria just couldn’t abide.  She called out to him softly through the darkness.

    “Please can you leave the door open?”

    Draco looked at her curiously, paused, framed by the door with the barest hint of light haloing him from the open window. 

    “Okay,” he breathed.

    He returned quickly, sliding back into bed beside Astoria again, causing her to inhale sharply as his chilled skin made contact with her contained warmth.

    “Why don’t you like closed doors?” Draco asked, tracing the lines of her face with a finger.

    Astoria sighed gently into the night.  “It’s the idea that I can’t get back to the people I love. It’s stupid, really.” She looked away from him and let a curtain of dark hair fall across her face.

    “Hey,” Draco reached out and tucked the hair behind her ears, “I don’t think that’s stupid at all.”

    Astoria narrowed her eyes at him suspiciously, “I don’t believe you.”

    “What kind of foundation is that for a relationship?” he teased.

    She flicked his shoulder and rolled over so she was facing the wall with a “hmph.”

    Draco nudged up behind her and wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing his chest to the warm skin of her back and tucking her small frame into his own.

    “I promise I’ll never close a door when you’re in the room.”

    Astoria looked over her shoulder at him with narrow eyes, “really?”

    “Really, I promise.” He tucked his nose into the crook of her neck, illiciting a delightful gasp as his cold face made contact with her warm neck.

    “Anyway, what was it you had for me?” she asked, pressing back into his frame.

    “Wimphmaryme?” he muttered into her neck.

    “I’m sorry, what?”

    “Will you, Astoria Greengrass, marry me, Draco Malfoy?”

    Astoria rolled over and sat up, all in one swift motion that left her towering over Draco who seemed to shrink into the mattress.  She stared in disbelief for a moment before recovering her senses.

    “Draco...” she leaned over him and pressed her lips hard against his. “Yes, of course, yes!” she mumbled between kisses, “Merlin, I honestly thought you’d never work up the courage to ask!” Another kiss.  “You have no idea how glad I am that you did!”

    Draco chuckled against her lips at the slightly inane ramblings that were coming out of her mouth, but he didn’t mind them one bit.  He’d take inane rambling over a lifetime without Astoria, any day.  Without her, there was no life for him.

    “Just leave the door open, Draco. Leave the door open and I’ll always come back to you.”

 

**SIXTEEN YEARS LATER**

    Draco tossed and turned, awaking constantly and reaching a hand out to Astoria, only to pull it back as if scalded.  A noise in the hallway pulled from his fitful slumber as his door clicked shut.

    “Scorpius?” he called out, sitting bolt upright.

    The door clicked open again and the pale boy poked his head around it, eyes slitted and sleepy, dark rings hanging beneath.

    “Please don’t close the door.”

    “But, Dad, you make so much noise, I can’t sleep.”

    Draco winced apologetically and said, “I’ll buy you some muggle earplugs and put up a muffliato – ” he made to climb out of bed.

    “Why can’t I just close the door?”

    “Astoria doesn’t – ” he paused and looked up at the ceiling, tears he would not shed welling up behind his eyes.  “Astoria _didn’t_ like having the door closed, and I guess I’m just in the habit now.”

    Scorpius looked at him with his penetrating slivery eyes as if he didn’t quite believe his father. Draco couldn’t even make himself believe it.  He squeezed his eyes shut and listened as Scorpius shuffled about in the doorway.

    His son paused for a moment and took a deep breath before saying, “I miss her.”

    “I miss her too.” Draco couldn’t bring himself to be embarrassed for the way his voice cracked. 

    In a flash, Scorpius was up on Draco’s bed and had his arms around his father’s waist, head buried in his chest.  Draco pulled his son into him and held on tight.

    It came out muffled, but Draco could vaguely make out what Scorpius was saying; “we don’t have to hurt alone, Dad, we can miss her together.”

    Draco buried his nose in his son’s hair and breathed in the scent of Astoria’s shampoo.  This time he couldn’t stop the tears from spilling over.

    “Okay,” he nodded firmly, Scorpius still clinging to him. “But don’t close the door; she promised – ” he swallowed thickly. “She promised she’d always come back.” He hid his grief in Scorpius’ pale hair.

    Scorpius looked up at him with a tear streaked face and such a horrible pain behind his silver eyes that Draco wished he could pull out his wand and vanish it.

    “I love you, Scorpius.” He paused. “Don’t ever forget that.”

    “I love you too. And don’t _you_ ever forget it, either.” He pulled back from Draco for a moment and wiped his eyes on the sleeve of his pyjamas.

    “I won’t.”

    “And don’t worry, Dad. We can leave the door open for Mum.”


End file.
